The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-11-19
Sense of Smell in Dogs.

OOhoO VA 0AAOAA Al OOHSs
Mr.. George J. Romanes has COM
municated to the Linnean Society
the results of series Of experiments,
made by him. to test the strength
and acuteness of the sense of smell in
dogs. He cites the case of terrier,
who could not be thrown off his mas
ter's track upon the pavement of
Regents Park, although this track
was crossed and recrossed by hun
dreds of fresher ones. and by thus
ands that were not so fresh. To make
a test with a setter, the master had
his men, in Indian file, and the games
keeper brought up the rear of the
line. Each man placed his feet in
the footprints of his predecessor. The
masters scent was most overlaid,
that of the gamekeeper was freshest.
When they had gone two hundred
yards, the master turned to the right,
followed by five of the men, the other
six turned to the left, keeping their
usual order. The settler followed the
common track with such eagerness
as to Oyershoot the point of diverg-
ence; but, quickly regaining this
point. chose at once the track to the
right.
The master and stranger to the
dog exchanged boots, and then went
different ways. The setter followed
its masters boots, and found the
stranger.
When the master and stranger
walked the park with bare feet the
setter followed its masters trail, but
not with the eagerness with which
it followed the trail of his boots.
When he walked in new shooting
boots the setter would not follow.
The master glued single thick
ness of brown paper to the soles and
sides of his old shooting-boots. The
setter did not take the trail until it
came to point where. the paper
having worn away, the sole of one
heel touched the ground. Then the
dog recognized the trail at once.
Walking in new cotton socks left
no tail that the setter could follow
In wooden socks that had been worn
a day, the trail was followed, but not
eagerly.i
The master walked fifty yards in
his shooting-b0ots, then kicked them
off and carried them with him, while
he walked in stockings 300 yards,
then he took off his stockings, and
walked another 800 yards barefoot.
When the setter was put upon the
track at the outset it followed with
usual eagerness, and kept up the pur-
suit through the whole distance.
Accompanied by stranger to the
dog the master rode out along car
rage way. several hundred yards
from the house. then he alighted, and
walked in his shooting boots fifty
yards beside the carriage. He then
entered the carriage. and his friend
got out and walked 200 yards along
the way. The setter ran the whole
$50 yards at full speed, without max
ing any pause at the point where the
scent changed.
The master walked in his ordinary
shooting-boots, having first soaked
them in oil of anise-seed. Although
the odor of the anise-seed was so
strong as to be perceived by friend
an hour after the trail was made, the
dog followed the track of its master
thus disguised with usual speed, after
having examined the first three or
four steps carefully.
Other experiments tested the power
of scent through the air. The master
walked down trampled field by a
zigzag course for quarter of a mile,
then turned to one side, got oyer
stone-wall and walked back toward
the house. The stone wall was breast
high, and about 100 yards to the
Windward of his course down the
field. The dog taking the trail at the
top of the field. followed rapidly its
masters winding course. The mo-
ment it gained the "wind's eye" of
the place where he was standing,
with only his eyes above the top of
the wall. the dog threw up its head.
turned from the track it was follow
ing, and went straight to its owner.
And yet there were at the time sew.
eral oyer.heated laborers near It in
the field.